Internal-combustion engine



March 12, 1929.

J. M KLUSKY 1,705,130

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 11, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March12, 1929. J, MCKLUSKY 1,705,130

iINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 11, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5Sheets-Sheet 5 J. M KLUSKY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 11,1927 March 12, 1929.

March 12 1929. J. MCKLUSKY 1,705,130

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 11, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedMar. 12, 1929.

JOHN MGKLUSKY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed August 11. 1927. Serial No. 212,218.

This invention relates to an improvement in internal combustion enginesand particularly to that class of internal combustion engines having arotary group of radially-arranged cylinders.

The object of this inventionis to produce a simple, eflicient andreliable engine of the class described, constructed with particularreference to fewness of parts.

WVith this object in view, my invention consists in an internalcombustion engine characterized by having a stationary casing formedwith one or more ports and a rotary group of radially-arranged cylinderslocated in the casing and eaclrof which is also provided with a portadapted to successively register with the one or more ports of thecasing, whereby valves may be dispensed with, together with the cams,levers, etc., for operating the same.

My invention further consists in an internal combustion enginecharacterized as above and having the stationary casing provided with ascavenging-air port, so that air, under pressure, may be passed throughthe cylinders to rid them of residual burned gases.

My invention further consists in an internal combustion engine havingcertain details of construction and combination of parts as will behereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in rear elevation of an internal combustion engineconstructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view inrear elevation on a slight- 1y enlarged scale withthe two halves of the rear casing-plate removed;

Fig. 4 is a vertical central sectional view on an enlarged scale takenon the line 44 of igs. 5" and 5 are complementary views in centraltransverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 on the same scale as Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a'broken detailed sectional view on a greatly enlarged scaletaken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fi 7 is a broken sectional view on the line 7 of Fig. 6; V

Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view of one of the expansiblepacking-rings;

Fig. 9 1s a corresponding view of one of the segmental guard-plates; and

sen for illustration is particularly designed for use in aircraft andconsists of a radiallyarranged group of six cylinders 10 bolted at theirouter ends to a coupling-ring 11 which serves to tie the said cylinderstogether and is provided upon its periphery with a relatively-thinhardened-steel facing ring 12. At their inner ends each of the saidcylinders is clamped between the front and rear halves 13 and 13respectively of a crank-case ring 14, the front and rear faces of whichare respectively provided with disk-like end-plates 15 and 16.

Each cylinder is provided with a steel lining-tube 17 which abuts at itsouter end against the inner periphery of the couplingring 11 aforesaidin line with a circular passage or port 18 extending radiallytherethrough and through the facing-ring 12 aforesaid.

Each of the end-plates 15 and 16 of the crank-case before referred to isprovided with an outwardly-projecting hub 19, between the interior ofwhich and the opposite ends 20 and 21 of a two-part stationary hollowcrankshaft 22 are interposed anti-friction bearin s 23, so that theend-plates 15 and 16, cran case ring 13, cylinders 10, rings 11 and 12,as a group, together with parts connected therewith, mayrevolve aboutthe crank-shaft with a minimum of friction. The eccentric centralportion 24 of the stationary hollow crankshaft 22 is shouldered, asshown, to mount a pair of anti-friction bearings 25 which are interposedbetween it and the hub 26 of a master connecting-rod 27 which isconnected to one of the pistons 28. master connecting-rod 27 by means ofwristpins 29 are a series of five connecting-rods 30, each of whichlatter, like the master connecting-rod 27 is pivoted at its outer end toone of the pistons 28,all in the manner common to internal combustionengines of this type.

Pivoted to the hub 26 of the In line with and arranged around the outhead ring is slightly larger than the exterior diameter ofthefacing-ring 12, so that the latter, together with the cylinders, mayrevolve within the said cylinder-head ring without actual contact.

The forward face of the cylinder-head ring just referred to is providedwith a two-part casing-plate 34, also diametrically divided to form anupper half 35 and a lower half 36, each of which is formed withventilatingopenings 37 and with half of an outwardlyprojectingbearing-sleeve 38, between the interior of which and the hollowpropellershaft 39 is interposed an anti-friction bearin 40, as shown.The propeller-shaft 39 just re erred to is coupled to the hub 19 of therevolving crank-case end-plate 15 by means of bolts 41, as shown in Fig.4.

The rear face of the cylinder-head ring 31, like its front face, isprovided with a casingplate 42 diametrically divided to form an upperhalf 43 and a lower half 44, each of which is formed withventilating-openings 45 and is secured at its inner end to aninwardly-projecting hub-plate 46, which latter is coupled to thecrank-shaft 22 by means of a key 47, so that the said crank-shaft isheld stationary with the engine-casing which comprises the casing-plates34 and 42 and the cylinder-head ring 31.

The lower half 33 of the cylinder-head ring 31 is formed with anexhaust-port 48, a scavenging-air port 49, and an inlet port 50, each ofwhich passes radially through the said cylinder-head ring in line withthe ports 18 in the rings 11 and 12, and hence in line with the openouter ends of the cylinder 10, as shown in Figs. 5 and 5".

To provide for a passage of scavenging air through the cylinders 10,each is formed near its inner end with a series of radial ports 51 whichalso extend through the lining-tube 17 of the cylinder, as clearly shownin Figs. 4, 5 and 5'. These ports just referred to are so located in thecylinder 10 that they are uncovered by the pistons 28 when the. samereach the limit of their inward radial travel. Around each of thepistons10 and in line with the orts 51 thereof, I form in the two halves of t ecrank-case ring 14 a circumferential air-channel 52, each of which is incommunication with a sloping radialair-pipe 53 which, in turn, 0 ens atits inner end into an annular air-cham er 54 (Fig. 4), which latter issupplied with air under pressure through a passage 55 formed in thehub-plate 46 forming part of the rear casing-plate 42 aforesaid.

To prevent the exploding gases from escaping laterally across theupperface ofthe upper ha f 32 of the cylinder-head ring 31, which is thepoint at which it is intended to have the explosion-cycle of my improvedengine take place, I locate on each of the opposite sides of the groupof cylinders 10 a segmental guardplate 57 which is positioned in asegmental groove 58 located in the saidupper half 32 of thecylinder-head ring 31. A corrugated spring 59, located in the groove 58above the guard-plate 57, tends to maintain the latter in yieldingcontact with the periphery of the facing-ring 12.

Between each of the segmental grooves 58 above referred to and the sideof the cylinderhead ring 31 adjacent thereto respectively, I form in thelatter an internal annular groove 60 which receives a split resilientpackingring 61 which is proportioned to normally hug the periphery ofthe facing-ring 12. One end of each of the said rings 61 abuts against astop-pin 62 (Fig. 7), while its opposite end is formed with anoutwardly-offsetting ear 63 which is engaged by a cam 64 for expandingthe said ring to free it from contact with the facing-ring 12, as willbe hereinafter described. The two cams 64, which respectively coact withthe ears 63 of the respective packing-rings 61, are both mounted upon acommon shaft 65 extending transversely through the upper half 32 of thecylinder-head ring 31, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. said shaft 65 isprovided with an operatinghandle 66 by means of which it may be turnedto expand the ring 61, while its opposite end is provided with aretaining-nut 67.

It is intended that the packing-rings 61 shall only remain in contactwith the facingring 12 for a short interval immediately following thestarting of my improved engine, and only until the same attains a normaloperating speed. When a proper speed has been attained, the handle 66 isoperated to turn the cams 64 with the effect of expanding both of thepacking-rings 61 into the position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 7,so that the rotatinlg parts of my improved engine, including t ecylinders 10, coupling-ring 11 and facing-ring 12, are freed of anyfrictional restraint by the said packing-ring 61, and destructivefriction between the said packingrings and the facing-ring 12 isavoided.

To prevent the esca e of gases when the packing-rings 61 have 8811expanded out of engagement with the facing-ring 12, as above described,I secure by means of screws 68 to each of the opposite sides of thecouplingring 11 a washer-like mercury packing-ring 69, the o posite faceof each of which, near the periphery thereof, is formed with an annularseries of impeller-notches 70 which extend into annular internal mercurychambers 71, one of which is located near the front and rear faces,respectively, of the engine. The front mercury chamber 71 is formedpartly in the front end of the cylinder-head ring 31 and partly in theinner face 01 the front casing-plate 34, while the corresponding rearmercury-chamber 71 is formed partly in the rear face of the saidcylinder-head ring and partly in the inner face of the rear casingplate42, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. When One end of the p the en ine hasattained suflicient speed and after t e packing-rings 61 have beenexpanded to free them of contact with the facingring 12, theimpeller-notches of the mercury packing-ring 69 will act to throwmercury,

which is stored in the chambers '71, outward with sufficient force toeffectually prevent the lateral escape of gases.

An engine constructed in accordance with my invention may have itscycles timed in various orders; the particular form of engine chosenherein for the illustration of my invention is designedto function inthe fo lowing manner:

Each of the cylinders 10 is filled with gaseous mixture, is fired,exhausted, and scavenged in exactly the same manneras itscomplementarycylinders, so. that a description of the functioning of one will suflicefor all.

A given cylinder, upon coming into registration with the inlet-port 50,will receive through the port 18 of the rings 11 and 12 and through itsopen outer 'end a charge of explosive gaseous mixture under pressure, atwhich time the piston of the cylinder now being described is near thelimit of its in ward radial movement. Upon passing out of registrationwith the inlet-port 50, the gaseous mixture will be compressed by theoutward movement of the piston, and upon reaching a nearly verticalposition within the top of the casing, will have the compressed gaseousmixture within ignited by a s arkplug 73, thereby exerting an inward trustupon the piston, with the effect of imparting a clockwise impulse tothe cylinders as a group, together with the cylinder couplingring 11,facing-ring 12, crank-case ring 14, and associated parts.

When the piston within the cylinder being described nears the limit ofits inward radial movement, its port 18 will have moved intoregistration with the exhaust-port 48, thus permitting the burned gasesto escape outward through the said port and through an exhaust-pipe 7 4.

The continued movement of the cylinder will bring it into registrationwith the scavenging-air port 49, at which time, also, its piston willhave retired radially inward sufliciently to uncover the scavenging-airports 51 in the cylinder walls. Immediately upon the uncovering of theports 51, as described, air under ressure will be ermitted to flow intothe cy inder from the air-channel 52 and outward through the port 18 andscavengingair port 49 and carry with it any residual burned gases whichmay have failed to pass out through the exhaust-port 48 aforesaid. Thecontinued clockwise movement of the cylinder will move it out ofregistration with the scavenging-air port 49 and again register it withthe intake-port 50, the piston 28, meanwhile, traveling slightlyoutward, so as to recover the air-ports 51 in the cylinder wall, so asto prevent the ingress of any scavenging air at this time. The cylinderis now in position to receive a fresh charge of gaseous mixture and willa ain pass through the cycle previously described.

By means of my invention, I am enabled to construct a simple andreliable engine with a high ratio of horse power per pound weight, sinceI am enabled, in a simple and reliable manner, tocause the same tofunction as a two-cycle engine, whereby the six cylinders shown in thedrawings have a poweroutput substantially equal to that of atwelvecylinder four-c cle engine. Furthermore, I am enabled to ispensewith valves, together with the cams, levers, etc., for operating thesame and to avoid many of the objections common to prior engines of thisgeneral type.

Thus, when functioning through the cycle a above described, centrifugalforce acts to assist the expulsion of burned gases and to assist thepassage of scavenging air through the cylinders.

By introducing scavenging air under pressure into the cylinders, betweenthe exhaust and intake cycles thereof, I am enabled to largelycounteractthe tendency of centrifugal force, which ordinarily at this time is freeto throw oil outward from the crankcase and past the pistons.

I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine, comprising a stationary casing; inlet,outlet and scavenging-air ports formedin said casing; a rotary group ofradially-arranged cylinders located within said casing; a piston withineach of said cylinders; a scavenging-air port formed in the side wall ofeach cylinder near the inner end thereof and positioned so as to beuncovered by a piston therein when the same is in line with the saidscavengingvair port in the casing; an air-duct connecting the saidscavenging-air ports in the side wall of each cylinder witha source ofair under pressure; a second port also formed in each cylinder near theouter end thereof and adapted to register with said inlet, outlet andscavenging-air ports of the said stationary casing; a stationarycrank-shaft; and connectingrods extending between each of said pistonsand the said stationary crank-shaft; whereby when the said port in theouter end of each cylinder is brought into registration with thescavenging-air port in the said casing, air under pressure will beautomaticall admitted into the inner end of a given cylinder forpositively forcing the residual gas throu h the scavenging-air port inthe casing.

2. in internal combustion engine, comprising a stationary casing; astationary cylinder-head ring carried by the said casing; inlet, outletand scavenging-air ports formed in the said ring; a rotary group ofradially-arranged cylinders located within the said casing and ring; apiston within each of the said cylinders; a scavenging-air port formedin the side wall of each cylinder near the inner end thereof andpositioned so as to be uncov ered by a piston therein when the same isin line with the said scavenging-air port in the casing; an air-ductconnecting the said scavenging-air port in the side wall of eachcylinder with a source of air under pressure; a second port also formedin each cylinder near the outer end thereof and adapted to register withthe said inlet, outlet and scavengingair ports of the said cylinder-headring; a stationary crank-shalt; and connecting-rods extending betweeneach of said pistons and the said stationary crank-shaft.

3. An internal combustion engine, comprising a stationary easing; inletand outlet ports formed in the said casing; a rotary group ofradially-arranged cylinders located within said casing; a coupling-ringextending between the outer ends of the said cylinders; a port formed ineach of said cylinders and adapted to register with the inlet and outletports of the said stationary casing; a substantially-annular expansiblesealing-ring mounted in the said casing so as to bear upon the peripheryof the said coupling-ring at a point to one side of the said cylindersin position to prevent the lateral escape of gases between the saidcoupling-ring and the said easing; means for retracting the saidsealingring from contact with the periphery of the said coupling-ring; apiston Within each of said cylinders; a stationary crank-shaft; andconnecting-rods extending between each of said pistons and the saidstationary crankshaft.

4. An internal combustion engine, comprising a stationary casing; inletand outlet ports formed in the said casing; a rotary group ofradially-arranged cylinders located within said casing; a coupling-ringextending between the outer ends of the said cylinders; a port formed ineach of said cylinders and adapted to register with the inlet and outletports of the said stationary casing; an annular inwardly-openingfluid-receiving sealingchannel formed in the said casing at one side ofthe ports therein; sealing fluid located in the said channel; animpeller-ring carried by the said rotating group of cylinders andprojecting into the said sealing-channel in the casing so as tooutwardly hurl the fluid therein by centrifugal force so asto form agas-proof seal between the said coupling ring and the said casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

JOHN McKLU SKY.

